September update

Asylum Seekers and Refugees campaign

In the last few weeks NZF has met with key partners and stakeholders to understand better the needs of those travelling to our shores. These include: Muslim Charities Forum to discuss the specific response of UK Muslim charities; Refugee Council in London, who have been working with refugees and asylum seekers since 1951; Horton Housing Association in Bradford, where half of the Syrian refugees in the UK have been re-settled to date; and various Local Authorities including Luton, Birmingham and Brent Council.

In parallel to this we have also been working on our campaign launch to raise awareness of the plight of asylum seekers that are here in the UK and need our help. As you are aware, NZF has been supporting hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees eligible to receive Zakat since its inception in 2011. Our beneficiaries have battled with hunger, homelessness, fuel poverty and the inability to pursue legitimate asylum claims. We are looking for volunteers who can support our marketing team to raise awareness in your local areas as part of the upcoming campaign.

September has been a busy month for our team of caseworkers; 111 new applications were received and £109,463.90 of Zakat has been distributed to those in desperate need. We continue to receive applications to support asylum seekers and refugees. These are brothers and sisters who have fled their home countries that they know and love, often having left behind their wealth and possessions, in order to seek security and protection. If you would like to support our Zakat distribution team, we are recruiting volunteer caseworkers to work from our office in Wembley. Sign up here.

Poverty and British Muslims

NZF Chief Executive, Iqbal Nasim, recently participated in a practitioner panel discussion addressing the subject of Poverty and British Muslims at the Muslims in Britain Research Network conference. The event, which was held at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, also provided a platform for academic responses to explain the high levels of poverty amongst British Muslims. Professor Anthony Heath (CBE, FBA) presented his research to the audience. Read the full report here.

Student Scholarships update

NZF together with Lantern of Knowledge Educational Trust provide grants for Zakat-eligible students to help make Higher Education more accessible. This year there were 60 applications of which 18 were selected for funding. One of these was Amin, from London, whose family fled Somalia as refugees. He worked hard and achieved 4 A stars for his A-Levels, securing himself a place at the University of Cambridge! Without the grant moreover, he would not have the means to pursue this dream but this is just one example of how together we can transform an individual’s life. NZF will be following his progress and sharing updates with you soon. For more information on the scholarship progamme, please email scholarships@jamia.co.uk or visit the Lantern of Knowledge website.